There was never any question of Tate's ability to overcome adversity, but said he had been knocked down one time too many, to which his body could not keep up.

"The decision (to play on or retire) was pretty much taken out of my hands by the surgeon," Tate said in a press conference at Cowboys HQ this morning.

"When I saw him he pretty much told me it was time to look at my options and I always said I'd base my decision around my family and that's why I've come up with this decision now to retire because it's probably more about them now than me as a footballer."